St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1887-04-07
A NOBLE REVENGE.

Anywhere else Sno WOulu nave Deon
called Maud, but SmOketon people
were too busy making money to pay
proper attention to diphthOngs, so by
them she was simply called "MOd."
Mods surname was Bangs, the vowel
Of which was unduly prolonged by the
SmOketonians, as her diphthong was
unjustly shortened. There was moth
ing visibly heroic about Mod. She
was the eldest daughter of a SmOketOn
operative, teaching in one of the
Smoketon public schools. She was
small and slender, awkward in person
and movements, with prOtruding
forehead, lfeless looking sandy hair,
and small, dull, inexpensive eyes.
Stephen Dare was not bad fellow,
especially in his own opinion. He was
a handsome, young giant, with frank,
merry face, usually Obscured by Il
cloud of SCOT; for Stephen, though only
twenty five years, was ''boss" at
Browns mill, the largest mill in Smoke
ton. He was we'll off, tOO--very wealthy
for place whose richest men only
counted by tens of thousands; so it is
not wonderful, perhaps, that he was
much petted and spoiled by the Smoke
ton lasses.
The Eleventh Ward school house
was on Stephens direct way home from
work, and as Mod always remained
there until six o'clock to study, Stephen
had got in the habit of calling for her !;
and thence, one September afternoon,
they were walking home together when
they first met Myra Tracy.
"By jinks! amt she daisy 2" ex-
claimed Stephen, recovering his breath
and his SmOketon vernacular when the
vision was gone. "She's awfully swell,
but III bet you've got as much money
every time. Look here, Mod, don't
tell anybody, but | wouldn't mind
marrying that girl ~
"Whether she would have you or
not, | suppose ?"
"Have me! She'd be lucky to get
me-pOOr as church mouse. She'd
jump at me, / knOww
Stephen was more in earnest than
Mod supposed.
1t was a difficult matter to get an in
PRODUCTION to Miss Tracy, and when he
asked permission to call, the girl had
not, as she said afterward, sufficient
presence of mind to refuse. Myra, in
deed, was profoundly amused at her
self and scarcely less so at Stephen.
The handsome illiterate young giant
was new type to the high bred "cul
tured" Philadelphian and, though she
considered flirting very unladylike
proceeding, her esthetic interest was
sufficiently visible to afford Stephen
all the encouragement he needed.
When Stephen, at last, asked Myra to
be his wife, and was rejected with a
naughty surprise which she could not
quite conceal, it was Mod who was the
least astonished. Stephen believed he
understood the whole matter perfectly,
for it was, in fact, the presence of
Champ Preston in SmOketOn which had
hurried him ON to a declaration.
GA long, lazy, tow headed fool"
was his terse description of the all
cOnquering Champ, whose soft voice,
handsome face, languid elegance of
manner, not to speak of his attractions
in the way of stocks, bonded and land
ed property, had for several seasons
made him the lion of eastern society
He had been abroad at the time of Mr.
Tracy's death.
Immediately upon his return he fol-
lowed Myra to SmoketOn, where, he
coolIy informed her, it was his inten-i
ton to bivouac with the abOIigines un-
til she was ready to be married and re-
turn with him to civilization.
Myra readily allowed herself to be
persuaded. Smoketon was more dis
tasteful to her than ever since Stephen
had taken his dismissal in such vehe-
mently bad part.
The wedding day arrived at last-a
warm February morning, pouring with
rain. Indeed, it had rained two DAYS
over all the surrounding country. The
river was unusually high, and the |
Trumpet had already warn
ed its readers to expect food
Mod had reason TO believe that Ste
phen intended to do some injury to his |
successful rival. She knew he had !